


Stay Alive For Me

by tenura



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29557191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenura/pseuds/tenura
Summary: Streets cracked, buildings crumbled, with no other person in sight.It's been 3 weeks since the bombing, and Tom's been alone the entire time.But, of course, Tom isn't alone in a Tomtord fanfiction.
Relationships: Tom & Tord (Eddsworld), Tom/Tord (Eddsworld)
Kudos: 7





	1. 1

My steps were taken with caution as I entered the store. Walls were crumbled, leaving debris in my path. Shelves had been tipped over, their contents being spread out around me. I wasn't surprised by the sight in front of me. This store was particularly close to a bomb that hit a while back. In all honesty, I expected this place to be in a much worse state. Though, for the sake of acquiring more food, I was glad it wasn't.

I walked to a shelf housing cans of food. I took a few, reading the labels and making sure none were opened. Peaches, beans, even some sliced pineapple. My bag was about halfway full once I placed the cans inside. I walked around the store, finding bottles of water and other drinks. I quickly placed them in my bag, hardly being able to close it afterwards.

The silence around me was unsettling. I remembered being in this store only a few weeks ago, people bumping into me as they walked past, the smell of fresh seafood lingering in the air. Now all I could smell was ash. The only sounds made were by the howling wind outside and my own footsteps. The cracking underneath my feet was just background noise as I made my way to the front desk, looking over the counter. Some liquid was strewn across the floor, the lack of light preventing me to determine what it was. Though my first guess was soda. An empty bottle was on the other side of the room. I wasn't going to begin trying to determine how it got there in the first place. What's the point?

A quick glance outside told me it was getting late. The sun was already starting to set, though it was hard to tell through the dust and ash in the air. I had spent most of my day gathering new weapons and nourishment, finding a rather nice collection for myself.

I began walking home, thinking about recent events. The bombs weren't even announced. It seems like they came out of nowhere. I chuckled at the memory of myself three weeks ago, having a pitiful argument with Edd about how cola is not an instrument. It was really stupid, but at that moment it didn't matter. We were living our lives with enough time and patience to waste our breaths on something as trivial as an argument. I just prayed that they were safe. Edd and Matt had left two days before the bombing, going on some sort of road trip. I didn't hear from them until the second day, Edd complaining about Matt always looking in the mirror instead of keeping his eyes on the road.

The sun was almost completely out of sight when I made it home. Well, home isn't really the right word. My old house was destroyed in an explosion, leaving the walls crumbled and hardly giving me any protection from the shockwave. So I left, in search of a new hiding spot. One that can shelter me from any sort of debris or harmful scraps. The perfect place ended up being a room at the bottom of a barely intact building.

I had made a slightly cozy place for myself, despite the obvious lack of need to do so. I was going to leave this place again first thing tomorrow. My plan was to make it to the next town over, trying to find any other survivors willing to come with. In the three weeks that I had been looking, I hadn't run into anyone else.

I placed my bag on an old mattress lying on the floor. The blankets and pillows were just large pieces of cloth I could find. I was just glad the bombs that fell weren't atomic, or else I wouldn't be able to eat or drink anything.

With a long sigh, I sat down next to my bag, taking off my hoodie and boots, laying back and letting my body hit the barely soft material under me. I ran my hand through my hair, feeling it spring up again in its usual pineapple style. I closed my eyes, relaxing my muscles into the fabric underneath me. The 'bed' wasn't comfortable, but it was all I had.

After a while of resting, I decided to get up and cook dinner. My hideout had a relatively large hole in the wall, allowing me to have enough ventilation for a fire. I had made a fire here before, having everything already set up. It took a while, but I managed to heat up some beans for my dinner. It wasn't enjoyable to say the least, but the time for preferences was long over. I ate what I could find. The taste didn't matter. It couldn't matter.

There was one good thing to come out of this, though. Even through the clouds of ash and dust, I could clearly see the stars shining brightly in the sky. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen them, twinkling in the darkness beside the moon. The hole in the wall provided the perfect view of the stars, letting the wind softly hit my face. A relaxed breath passed my lips, my jacket being slid off as I positioned myself on the bed. It had been an exhausting three weeks to be honest. My only wish was that I wasn't alone. And that Edd and Matt were ok, of course.

Thin sheets of cloth draped over my body as I laid down, moving the bag of food and weapons off of the mattress. Yes, I was cold. But I didn't have much of a choice. I'd been suffering from a lack of sleep since the bombs hit, the memories haunting me in my dreams. That didn't stop me from closing my eyes and letting my mind take me away. Dreaming was the only escape I had of this place. So I closed my pitch black eyes, my worries slipping away when I slept.


	2. 2

The distant sound of an explosion woke me out of my slumber. I sat up in an instant, looking out of the hole in the wall to see a plane flying away on the horizon. My heart raced as I quickly packed up everything I could in my bag. Food, water, weapons, clothing, matches, the pot I used to cook my meals. Not everything fit, but I took the necessities. As soon as my bag was full, I left the building I was in. If the bombers were coming back, I needed to get out of town quickly. I had no idea how far the bombed area was spread out. There probably wasn't much of a chance the next town over was completely intact, but I had to try. I couldn't be the only person left. There had to be others.

Stumbling out of the building, I found my footing and hastily made my way down the street, unfortunately being in full view of the destruction around me. Houses were completely demolished, I'd even go so far as to say they were obliterated. The once lovely garden in the backyard of someone's house was now a field of burnt trees and amber. The busy streets full of cars and people were now desolate and broken. Well on the bright side, there was no more traffic.

For the past weeks, I'd been travelling in the same direction, making my way to the closest town near here. It was still a very long journey, especially on foot. I passed building after building, most were just piles of crumbled wall and broken glass. Every house looked the same to me. I'd never been to this part of town before, so nothing held any significance to me. One thing I found curious, was that I hadn't run into anyone else. Not even a dead corpse. I was completely alone, in a town with over 20,000 people.

The day was long and tedious, my muscles growing weak and weary with every step as the sun was beginning to set. I had stopped a few times during my journey, eating food to keep my strength up and exploring possible hideouts. With my only source of light descending further and further, the need to find a hideout was growing. My eyes eventually set on a still intact building a few meters from where I was. There were a few floors, 4 from the looks of it. Holes in the walls, however concrete and sturdy. It seemed a room in there would be ideal for spending the night, maybe even a few more.

Most of the stairs were cracked, some parts broken off, but most were still intact. I made my way to the top floor, noticing the air clearing up slightly. The top floor seemed ideal, a large window smashed and broken, allowing me to start a fire if I needed to. A door to an apartment was at the top, its hinges broken and barely holding it together. I pushed past the door, entering a room covered in dust and shattered glass. Walking slowly around the area, my eyes darted about, taking in the scene of the living room. There was a couch which had been toppled over, numerous books on the floor next to a shelf, smashed pictures lying on the ground. I picked up a photo, seeing two girls smiling with their arms slung around each other. One had dark purple hair, a teal hoodie hugging her torso tightly, while the other had brown hair with red and blue streaks. The girls looked happy, no doubt laughing about something that had happened moments before the photo was taken. A smile crept onto my face, remembering a few pictures like this back in my old home. They were probably all destroyed by the explosions. Sighing, I placed the photo back on the ground, continuing to search for an ideal resting place.

It didn't take long for my exploring to lead me to a broken window, a clear view of my deserted town shown to me. Grey and black were the only colours I saw, spare for a few orange flickers of fire in the distance. My heart started pounding for the first time in three weeks. The sight of my hometown in such a devastating condition made me realize how bad the bombing really was. I recognized some buildings pretty far away, the most notable one being my old home. I could see my neighborhood, burned and broken. The times I spent walking down the street had burned a map in my mind, ironically speaking. I used to know every tree, house, even family that lived there. Although I didn't get out much, that neighborhood made me feel safe. Like I was invited to live there without being asked. Now it's been reduced to piles of rubble. No traces of anyone living.

I turned away from the window as my eyes started to tear up. Though I simply told myself it was the wind hitting my face. I turned my heel, realizing the sun was almost under. I had to make a fire before it was gone completely. My bag only had a few materials I could light, but I needed more. I frantically searched the room I was in, finding nothing useful for a fire. Eventually, I made it to the other side of the room, a hallway around the corner.

Picking up the pace, I got closer to the hallway, hoping for some kind of miracle room to appear and give me some firewood. Instead, as I turned the corner, I was met with a bullet flying mere centimeters from my head.


	3. 3

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"

My hands were in front of my face as the gun hovered in front of me. A man with some kind of foreign accent held the weapon, shouting his questions at me. My mind could hardly process what he was saying, panic rushing through my system as I tried looking at the man's face.

"Wh-at are you t-alking abou-t?"

The gun inched closer to my head, the freshly used barrel getting dangerously close to my forehead.

"I won't ask you again. Who are you, and why are you still in town?"

I squinted my eyes, looking to the right. It was only now that I realized the campfire a few meters away. Even I was surprised by how I failed to notice the smell of it before. Maybe this man was a survivor like me. But that hardly explains why he's pointing a gun to my head.

"I'm Tom Rigewill. Who the hell are you?!"

"I'm not answering any questions until you tell me who you're working for."

"WHAT? WORKING FOR?!"

By now I had my eyes opened again, hands lowering slightly to get a good look at the man in front of me. His hair was a strange caramel colour, styled up in two cowlicks making them look like horns. His clothing was ripped, a red jacked draped over a grey shirt. Like myself, he had multiple scratches over his body, blood seeping through some of his clothing. My void eyes locked with his silver ones. I let out a forced exhale before speaking again.

"I'm not working for anybody. I have no idea what you're talking about. All I'm doing is trying to make it to the next town over. So please. PUT THE FUCKING GUN DOWN."

The man in front of me growled lowly, walking up to me slowly. Eventually his face was close enough for his breath to hit my skin, the gun propping my chin up.

"Why didn't you leave the town like everyone else? How did you know about the bombs?"

His voice was menacing, though my confusion cancelled out the fear I had.

"L-listen I have no idea what you're talking about. And I sure as hell didn't know about the bombs until they hit. But how did everyone else know to leave the town?"

A slightly aggressive sound was heard from the man as he backed away, pulling out a piece of newspaper from his jacket pocket.

"There's no way anyone can be this stupid."

I took the paper from him, ignoring the last comment he made. Checking the date on it, I noticed this article was published three weeks ago. A day before the bombing started.

'EVACUATE THE TOWN. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.'

My eyes widened as I read the article. The words were printed big and bold, taking up most of the space on the page. It warned everyone to leave as quickly as possible, planes waiting for the townspeople to board them before they fly off to take everyone to safety. The only information given about the reason why, was that neighboring cities were being attacked. Our town, as harmless as it was, would never have been safe from the bombs. Which I found out first hand.

When I finished reading, I looked up at the man again, seeing his arms folded and an unreadable expression on his face. I handed the paper back to him, trying to process everything I just learned.

"That explains it..."

I mumbled under my breath, looking at the floor for a while. So everyone left without me...

Honestly, it didn't surprise me all that much. It was my fault for not reading the newspaper or going outside. I stayed in the shelter at the worst possible time. All because I wanted some peace and quiet.

"So how'd you survive if you didn't know about the bombs?"

Sighing, I faced the man with an annoyed expression.

"I'm not telling you anything. I don't even know your name. How do I know you're not working with the bombers, huh? How'd you survive?!"

A chuckle escaped the man's lips as he turned around, walking towards the fire.

"Yeah there's no way you're working with them. You're too naive. The name's Tord. Tord Lisston. You've probably never heard of me, have you?"

I shook my head reluctantly. Why on Earth should I know him? Unless he's the president or something. I don't follow the news.

"Hmm well, I'm an inventor of sorts. I like tinkering around and building things. So when I found out about a house for sale with an underground lab, I couldn't turn it down..."

Tord added a log to the fire, sitting beside it and watching it burn.

"When the bombs hit, I was deep underground in my lab. I didn't know about them until I came back up to see the place destroyed. You're the first person I've come across in a few weeks."

I nodded absentmindedly at his story, watching the embers in the fire spark and the flames dance in front of me.

"I've told you my story. Why don't you sit down and tell me yours?"

My eyes met his again as I hesitantly sat down across from him. Somehow I still didn't trust this man, even though part of me knew I should. He was the first person I've run into as well.

"My roommates went on a road trip a few days before the bombing. At first I was pretty excited to get some peace and quiet. I basically locked myself in my room and played my bass. But one day I heard yelling from outside. Now, don't get me wrong. If it wasn't my neighbour I heard, I would've checked out what was wrong right away...

But my neighbours have yelled at our house just to be annoying before, so I didn't assume it was serious."

I took a breather from my story, still trying to sort out every detail that had happened. It wasn't too long ago, but my memory never worked well under pressure. Especially if I'm remembering something traumatic.

"After a while, I got sick of the yelling and wanted to relax, so I thought it was a good idea to go into the bomb shelter under our house. My friend Edd had it installed a while back in case something ever happened. I guess I should thank him. I probably wouldn't have made it out of town by the time I found out."

Glancing at the man before me, I caught him nodding as well. He was looking to the side as if deep in thought.

"You're the first person I've run into, too. And... Even though you pointed a gun at my head, I'm willing to try working with you or something. I'm trying to get to the next town. Maybe we could run into other survivors."

My thought process wasn't hard to explain. Our chances of surviving would be a lot better if we helped each other. I didn't want to die in a wasteland. So when Tord grinned and stood up, sitting down next to me with his hand out, I shook it and smiled.

"I'd love that. I've missed having some company."

He reached to the side and grabbed a pot, setting it up to hover over the fire. He turned to me, pointing to a bag on the other side of the fire pit.

"I'm sorry I can't offer a delicious meal for dinner, but I can offer some rice. Compared to everything else, it's the tastiest food on the planet.

Although I was still skeptical, it felt nice to laugh with someone. Even someone who pointed a gun at me only moments ago.


	4. 4

Before the bombing, I was never much of a morning person. The sun was always too bright and my neighbours were always too loud. Though now if there was any indication for getting up, it was the sun hitting my face at dawn. I had a lot of walking ahead of me, so as soon as the sun came up, I did too.

The night before seemed almost surreal, as if it never happened at all. My first thought that morning was if anything happened the way I remembered it. I didn't know if the person I met the other day was a survivor, or simply a figment of my imagination. It's been 3 weeks. My brain could've conjured up a person to make me feel less lonely.

I was more than happy to be proven wrong. When my eyelids fluttered open, I was met with the sight of Tord cooking something over the barely lit fire.

"Good morning, Tom. Sleep well? Sorry I couldn't find a real pillow by the time you fell asleep. I hope my jacket wasn't too uncomfortable."

As he was saying this, I was barely conscious. Though when I looked behind me, I noticed Tord's jacket in the same place as my head. My memory of last night was foggy, as I was very tired, but I did remember falling asleep on the floor, two arms lowering me down gently.

"Uhm... Sorry what was the question again?"

Holding my hand to my head, I sat up slowly, looking at my surroundings. My 'bed' was merely a few pieces of cloth as a mattress and blanket, whereas Tord's bed was just clothes piled on top of each other. A short chuckle brought my attention back to Tord, getting a good look at what he was cooking. Scrambled eggs. Looks tasty.

He reached into his bag, pulling out a packet of paper plates. There was only one left. He served the eggs on the plate, grabbing a plastic fork and handing everything over to me. I took it, slightly confused.

"The question doesn't matter. But I do have something else to ask you."

With the plate and fork still in my hands, I looked at him intrigued.

"Seeing as how the next town is a little while away, and I'm running out of resources, could we please share yours?"

I gave him a blank expression, placing the fork on the plate and holding it with one hand. I used the other to pull my bag closer, opening the flap and looking inside.

"What kind of question is that? Of course we'll share my resources. We're working together."

I struggled to hold the food as I desperately searched for some kind of plate or cutlery, failing to find anything other than cans, bottles, and a few knives.

"That is... If I have anything to share. I've got a lot of food, water, and weapons, but I'm not sure how long they'll last with two people."

Tord looked down a little, his enthusiasm slipping slightly.

"We'll have to get more today..."

Holding the fork and plate again, I nodded. The eggs were still pretty warm, an ideal temperature in my opinion. Though when Tord shuffled away to pack up his clothes, I let the eggs cool down even more.

"Hey, where's your food?"

He turned his head again to face me, a soft smile on his face.

"I'm not hungry. You should eat up. You'll need the strength to keep going."

My appetite suddenly vanished as I looked at the eggs, being skeptical of them.

"... Why aren't you eating? Did you do something to these eggs? I know for a fact that you're hungry. I can see it in your eyes. Did you drug this or something?!"

Tord rushed to my side, shaking his head with a pleading look.

"No, no! I just wanted to be nice! You looked really hungry... I didn't mean to come off as suspicious."

He looked down at the eggs, taking the fork and eating a piece. After he swallowed, he looked back at me.

"See? They're fine!"

Honestly, this entire ordeal freaked me out a little. Up until this point, I never saw any emotion from this man. He acted so nonchalant. It was interesting to see him try so hard to win my trust. I faced him again, still slightly suspicious of him. Over the years, I've learned to trust my emotions, as well as my heart. So when I relaxed and took a bite of the scrambled eggs, I didn't second guess my judgment. In fact, I smiled.

"This is actually pretty good..."

I saw Tord's face relax, a warm smile tugging at his lips.

"Thanks. Hunger is always the best ingredient, or so my mother told me."

We shared a small smile as I took another bite, holding the plate out to him. His smile fell to a more serious expression.

"I wasn't joking when I said you need the strength. I can tell you have a case of malnourishment. You need this a lot more than me."

My face fell to an unamused expression, my body turning to face him entirely.

"We're sharing. I don't care who needs what more. Now eat."

Reluctantly, he took the plate and fork, taking another bite of the eggs.

"Thanks."

I gave him a slight smirk, chuckling and taking the fork after he held it out to me.

"You made this to begin with. Don't thank me."

He smirked at me as well.

"You're right. Thanks, Tord. You did a hell of a good job making breakfast. High five."

I laughed as he clapped his hands together with a large grin. He joined in with the laughter, struggling to eat at the same time. Our laughter died down as soon as we heard an explosion in the distance. Tord stood up, handing the plate to me as he walked to the window.

"We should get going soon. I have a feeling we're going to need more supplies if the bombs keep up."


	5. 5

"Hey, Tord! I found something you might be interested in!"

The sound of loud footsteps accompanied by huffing were heard as my red wearing counterpart ran to me, holding a packet of unused paper plates. I pointed in front of myself, directing his attention to the large backpacks on a shelf. His eyes lit up and he let out a small victory cheer, hugging me before turning to the backpacks.

"Now we can take even more supplies with! I swear, are you eyes magical or something? I've walked past here a few times and didn't even see these!"

My answer just came out as a few incoherent mumbles, as I was too surprised by the embrace and my heated up face. When I came back to reality, I realized Tord was holding up a red backpack, trying it on for size. He smiled in accomplishment, holding a dark blue backpack out to me.

"Try this on! These are really comfy."

I took the bag from him, placing it around my shoulders and letting it sit on my back for a bit. I smiled back at him, nodding in agreement. With these backpacks, we'd be able to take a lot of supplies with. Not to mention, it was my favourite colour.

By the time we had made it out of the hiking equipment store, we had a few new jackets and flashlights, as well as spare batteries to replace. Tord lead the way through the mall quickly, as I trailed behind, looking at the destruction around me. This mall was in very good condition, considering what every other store and building I've come across looked like. But there were still many broken windows, crumbled walls and giant, gaping holes everywhere I turned. It left me feeling broken myself, taking note of how long people must've spent building everything up. And how little time it took other people to destroy it. Tord's voice snapped me out of my thoughts as he called me over to him. Picking up my pace, I made my way to him, looking at the partially demolished grocery store in front of us.

Minutes later, the two of us were stuffing cans of food, as well as bottles of water into the bags. Among other things, we had enough room for band aids and bandages, hydrogen-peroxide, and especially more paper plates. You can never have enough paper plates. My attention was drawn to Tord as we cleared the shelves of food.

"So since we're probably going to spend a long time together, why don't we get to know each other?" I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes, a small smirk playing on my lips.

"To think. You wanna get to know someone you almost shot."

"Geez I guess not."

I let a small chuckle escape my lips as I walked closer to him, reaching for a few cans on the top shelf.

"Ok, ok. What do you want to know about me?"

I saw Tord shrug, his silver eyes darting around to find anything else to pack in his bag.

"Well the usual stuff, you know? What job you had, hobbies, any pets? Just some stuff about your personal life."

While continuing to pack my own bag, I thought about what answers to give Tord. I still wasn't sure if I could trust him, but getting to know him would be a big help. If we were going to work together, we needed to become friends.

"The only question I can really answer is I like to play bass. Apart from that, I listen to music a lot and-"

I cut my sentence off before I could continue. It was probably best to leave my drinking habit out of this. He didn't need to know about it. Every bottle of alcohol here was shattered anyway, their contents creating a puddle of mixed poisons on the floor.

"...And?"

My lingering had kept Tord waiting for a while, I shook the thoughts of telling him out of my head.

"And nothing. It's not important. But I'd love to hear more about you."

My foot slipped slightly on a liquid on the floor, Tord catching me before I could fall down. We shared an awkward smile before he helped me up completely, making sure I wouldn't fall down again.

"Th-anks."

"Don't mention it."

His smile got somewhat friendlier when he started talking about his life before the bombing. He shared some stories about past inventions of his and how a lot of them failed. I found the giant robot particularly intriguing, though I was upset to hear it didn't stay intact after the first test run.

The sun started setting as we searched for a new hideout. By then, we'd been talking for hours on end, sharing stories and laughing. Although I'd only met him a day prior, it felt like I was talking to an old friend.

"And of course I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that! So I went onstage and played Susan until the cafe was cheering my name!"

"Susan is your... bass. Correct?"

"Hey! You remembered! Good job."

A hardy chuckle left Tord's lips as we made our way through a broken doorframe, avoiding the cracks in the ground as we carefully made it to our destination: a small bedroom with two beds.

"Well it's not like knowing what my neighbour's dog's name is something I need to remember now. It's good to learn the important stuff."

It seemed as though my emotions were becoming more fluid while being with Tord. Before I met him, I kept on a stone face, finding no reason or use to feel anything apart from pain; mental and physical. So when I found myself laughing over nothing, I realised something. The impact Tord had on me, was a lot stronger than the impact anyone else had made. And when Tord laughed with me, it was incredible. Amazing. As if my heart had opened for someone new. For a new friend.


	6. 6

The room was dark and warm as I laid on the uncomfortable bed. It took a few days to get here, but Tord and I had found a nice room which was formerly in a hotel. There was queen sized beds against the wall, the windows only partially shattered. Even with cracks in the floor, it was the most well preserved room we've come across.

The night was unusually warm, Tord and I sleeping in only our shirts and boxers with a large gap between us. I'd been laying completely still for over an hour, being unable to fall into unconsciousness. The arrhythmetic breaths coming from my friend told me he was awake as well.

"Can't sleep?"

Tord turned to face me at the question, his eyes half lidded and mouth open slightly.

"No. The heat's diving me crazy. You?"

A small laugh escaped my lips, turning to a light frown after a few seconds.

"Yeah, my shirt's even sticking to my chest."

"Heh tell me about it."

Tord let out a long, deep sigh, shutting his eyes momentarily before looking back at me. We shared a small smile, our bodies turned towards each other, closing the gap between us slightly.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Tord's gaze wandered elsewhere as he asked, an affirmative mumble leaving my mouth.

"Do you have... Someone waiting for you?"

My expression showed confusion, he obviously picked up on it. Clearing his throat, Tord spoke again.

"I mean as in like... Some kind of lover? Girlfriend? Maybe a wife?"

I let out a maddening laugh, snorting with my eyes clenched shut.

"Yeah ask the gay, kissless virgin if he has a wife!"

When my eyes locked into Tord's again, I saw his face showing an expression of surprise and sorrow.

"O-Oh I'm sorry, I didn't me-an to-"

"Pff no need to be sorry. I guess I just didn't find the right person at the right time."

Tord looked troubled, laying on his back and staring absentmindedly at the ceiling.

"What about you?"

Tord closed his eyes, a slight frown mixed with a painful look was painted on his face.

"There was someone. But he... left. In the middle of the night. Said he found someone better. That was around five years ago. I've never really loved since."

The atmosphere seemed to grow darker as time progressed, Tord never letting his gaze off the ceiling. After minutes of silence, I made my move.

"You know, I've spent my entire life waiting for the perfect person to come by and sweep me off my feet. At this point, I'm ready to just say... screw it."

He turned to me, a confused frown taking over his lips.

"What do you mean?"

I hesitated to answer, doubting myself with every word I could think to say to him.

"When... I'm thinking about the perfect lover, I think of someone I trust. And someone I enjoy having around. He can make me laugh, and has a colourful personality..."

Tord never changed his frown, but I saw his eyes soften while I spoke, never taking my pitch black eyes off of his.

"What... Do you want in a lover?"

My question was asked with a shaky breath, my own tone working against me. Tord audibly swallowed hard, moving his hands under his head and closing his eyes.

"Well I like someone who wants me around, you know? A person who's playful, but still has a serious side. And a person who I can crack jokes with. Someone I can trust. Someone like-"

Tord closed his mouth abruptly, eyelids flying open wide as now I laid in confusion next to him.

"Like who?"

"I was... Going to say like you. But I'm not sure if you're comfortable with that..."

Tord looked away, even in the dark a blush was showing brightly on his face. My heart rate picked up as I moved my hand to hold Tord's, it laying next to his head. He looked at me, surprised and unsure, until I leaned in closer to his face, being able to feel his breath hitting my skin. My eyes never straying from his.

"Is it crazy to kiss someone you've only met 5 days ago?"

Tord's lips were parted slightly, soft pants escaping them as he shook his head ever so faintly, as if in a daze. He inched his face closer to mine, until our lips brushed against each other. I felt a hand run through my hair softly, in a way calming me down.

"Are you sure about this?"

A small smile tugged at my lips as I nodded, shutting my eyes before feeling the tender lips of my counterpart pressing against mine. The feeling took me by surprise at first, though within seconds I found myself melting at the touch.

When I felt myself being pushed down, I gasped. My back was against the mattress entirely, seeing Tord hover over me, his face still resting close to mine. My eyes were half lidded, pink dusting over my cheeks and ears as Tord peppered kisses on my neck. I giggled, feeling his lips lead back to mine. Another deep kiss silenced me, my arms wrapping loosely around Tord's neck.

My mouth opened widely, eyes clenched as I felt a cold hand slip under my shirt, caressing my side slowly and gently. If there were any logic in this, I should say it felt as if a stranger was touching me, but it didn't. I was never this close to someone in my entire life, the hands that carefully took my shirt off feeling like the hands of a lover. They never left my body, me craving his touch more and more.

Before this moment, I had always imagined my first time to be awkward. Embarrassing. As if I'd be too vulnerable and afraid to move. Though as I laid on the bed underneath Tord, our clothes thrown mindlessly on the ground and our bodies moving in a rhythm, fear was the last thing I felt.


	7. 7

By the time I awoke, the sun had climbed the light grey sky, lingering close to the middle of it. My torso shot out of bed, my bare body now sitting upright as I looked beside me. The bed was completely empty, spare for the clothing folded and placed beside me. Boxers, shirt, hoodie, pants. They were all mine. My eyes examined the floor, seeing no trace of my midnight lover. Immediately my thoughts picked up, panic rushing through my system. Thoughts of betrayal flooded my head, believing that my 'teammate' had simply loved and left. I couldn't have been sure of anything though, so I called for him, part of me believing he was gone.

Though when Tord came back into the room holding a tray with a porcelain plate and a mug, I couldn't say I was disappointed.

"Is everything ok? Are you hurt?"

A smile grew on my lips, my head shaking lightly.

"No I was just worried. Where were you?"

"Well I wanted to make breakfast, but the floors here are wooden so I couldn't make a fire. Then I looked around the hotel and found a kitchen. They even had enough ingredients that weren't destroyed to make pancakes."

Tord lifted the tray slightly, allowing me to get a good look at the fluffy bread stack on the plate. The smell of the pancakes hit me, my mouth slightly watering before Tord lowered the tray again.

"What's in the mug?"

"The kitchen didn't have a working fridge, so I couldn't use milk. I just poured some orange juice in there. It's better than water."

My cheeks dusted over again with a light pink, a stupid grin overtaking my face.

"You really didn't have to do any of this-"

"Oh please. I wanted to treat you right after last night... You're not allergic to oranges, are you?"

A light chuckle left my throat as I shook my head, eyes fixed on Tord. He walked up to the bed, reaching over and handing me the tray. My lower half was completely covered by the blanket, yet Tord seemed hesitant to sit down next to me.

"Is something wrong?"

Tord rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, looking off into the corner of the room. He cleared his throat before answering, my food remaining untouched. I had no appetite until I found out what was troubling my counterpart.

"Because of what happened last night... What are we?"

I lifted my arm and looked at it, acting as if I had never seen it before.

"Last time I checked I was human. Who knows. That could've changed last night."

Tord gave a light chuckle, letting his arm fall to his side.

"I mean relationship wise. What are we now?"

My eyes wandered down to my food, watching the steam rise and dissipate.

"I'm not sure. I'd think we're more than just friends by now, right? Or was that a one time thing?"

Tord widened his eyes at the question, words choking up in his throat.

"I-if you want it to be a one time thing I understand-"

"Tord, if I wanted it to be a one time thing I wouldn't still be naked."

My comment brought his attention to the lack of clothing I had on, a bright red blush spread evenly over his cheeks.

"But a relationship is a two way street, Tord. It's your call."

I could see his eyes soften as he smiled, walking closer to the bed and sitting in the empty spot beside me. He cupped my cheeks with his hands, bringing his face close to mine as I closed my eyes. The familiar feeling of lips placed on mine was back, my hands slipping off the tray and wrapping around Tord's head, pulling him closer to me.

Our lips melted together, my hands trembling slightly. The feeling of having someone else so close to me was invigorating, our kiss broken to take panting breaths.

"Is it crazy to love someone you only met 6 days ago?"

We smiled sweetly at each other, the answer already clear. Giggling, I kissed my new lover's cheek, turning to face the food he had made for me. The pancakes were obviously cooled down, but after last night I needed my energy levels back up. Taking the fork and knife, I carefully cut out a piece of pancake, bringing it to my mouth and placing it on my tongue. Different flavours swirled in my mouth, the taste and texture combining to create an amazing sensation. After eating canned foods for so long, anything warm would've tasted delicious in my mouth, but this breakfast sent me over the top, my eyes closing and a breath leaving my lungs in relief. When I swallowed the first bite, I opened my eyes at Tord, a smile wide and heartfelt on my lips.

"Tord, this is amazing!"

Holding the knife again, I cut a piece for Tord, bringing it to his mouth. He smirked, taking the food into his mouth slowly, almost seductively. Once again, a giggle passed my lips, Tord eating the food and nodding.

"Hmm yeah these are pretty good..."

I could still taste the syrup lingering on the tip of my tongue, my smile never fading as I ate another piece.

"They're really sweet. I love it!"

Tord raised his eyebrow at me, his smirk widening.

"I know something that's sweeter."

Before I could ask, Tord held my hand, kissing up my arm until he reached my neck. My giggling only intensified the closer he got to my face, my body temperature rising as Tord continued.

Our moment was interrupted by a familiar explosion, no doubt the daily bomb had been dropped once again. Though this time, my body froze as I heard it, staring at Tord with a face of horror and fear.

"They're coming closer."


	8. 8

Every passing day seemed to get longer as the fear in my body rose. It was old news between Tord and me that the bombs had been dropping closer to us, moving our way on their journey of destruction. For that reason, Tord and I had been walking even faster, trying to outrun the bombs until we reach the next town.

As I stood on top of a rubble pile, old pieces of wood and brick beneath me, it was difficult to see past a few grey buildings ahead of us. The sky hadn't cleared up at all during the five weeks since the bombing, the only colours accompanying it were orange flames and black ash.

"Do you see anything?"

Tord called to me from the bottom of the pile, squinting due to the dust surrounding us.

"Does more smoke count?"

As gently as possible, I slid down the pile, falling into the hands of my sweet boyfriend. We both giggled slightly after we kissed, our hands tangled together as we continued walking down our path.

"When we get to safety, what's the first thing you want to do?"

My lover asked me while stepping over broken glass, the remains of a shattered window sprinkled on the ground in front of us.

"Definitely take a shower. And eat bacon. A lot of bacon."

Tord chuckled a bit, nodding his head. Our feet lead us to a cracked street, lamps and signs toppled over to complete the dim, drowsy looking area we had reached.

"What about you?"

Tord thought for a moment, swinging our hands together as we walked.

"I'd find a soft bed and sleep for a year."

"Hmm I would've liked to do something different in a bed~"

Tord gave me a look of surprise, my smirk showing as he bumped my shoulder with his.

"Heh, and I thought I was the horny one."

He pushed his hair back, the horns on his head sticking up again to exemplify his point. My mouth opened as I planned to retort his statement, though I never got the chance as I felt my foot slip. Tord widened his eyes, immediately using both hands to hold onto me as I hung from a large crack in the ground. The surrounding area around me was pitch black, the only light I had was from the grey sky above.

"TOM, HOLD ON. I'LL GET YOU OUT!"

I could feel Tord tensing his muscles, trying his best to pull me up. My arm was starting to hurt, I brought my other arm to help hold onto my savior. That's when I realized why he couldn't pull me up. I had my backpack full of cans, knives, bottles of water and a pan all on my back. My heart dropped as I started to slip, Tord's eyes going white with fear as mine did the same.

No command needed, I began slipping the backpack strap off my shoulder, feeling the weight unevenly shift onto my other side. Tord grunted, the obvious weight change being hard for his hands to hold onto my arm. Carefully, he grabbed my other hand, making sure it was secure before letting go of my arm, my backpack strap coming clean off. Once my bag fell off my shoulder, I heard a loud clutter of metal and cloth hit the ground. My focus was very much set on that noise, almost startling me as Tord pulled me up. I laid on the concrete under me, huffing heavily and trying to catch my breath. Tord laid beside me, his hand reaching mine and holding it again.

"Th-an-k y-you-"

I heard a breathless chuckle coming from my lover, his sweet voice ringing in my ears.

"Do-n't.. don't ment-ion it."

Once I found the strength to sit up, my head turned to Tord's way, giving him a kiss on the cheek as a thank you.

Our steps were taken with caution as we continued to walk, a slight limp in my step after I kicked a rock for losing the backpack. Tord held my hand as we kept going, a gleam in my eye everytime I looked at him.

"I can't believe I lost half of our supplies..."

Through the misty streets coated in gravel, my only thoughts surrounded the lack of weight on my back and the guilt I carried with me; it being even heavier than the backpack was. I mumbled under my breath, spitting insults at myself for being such an imbecile, dooming the two of us to a fate of nearing death quicker. As I spat profanities at myself, I felt two arms wrap around my body, a head resting on my shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Tom. Don't worry, min kjaere. It's going to be ok."

I pushed my lover back slightly, tears pricking my already glossed over eyes.

"IT IS MY FAULT, TORD! If I was looking where I was going then-"

Tord cut me off with a kiss, obviously trying to shut me up and calm my boiling blood down. After moments, I didn't have the strength to reject his actions, eventually letting go of my anger and enjoying the closeness of my boyfriend.

He pulled away from the kiss, looking into my eyes with sympathy and care. Wiping a tear away from my cheek, he sighed and cupped my face with his hands.

"I can't have you giving up on me here. I need you, Tommy. We haven't lost yet."

We shared a small smile between us, my head eventually nodding and accepting the truth my lover spoke to me. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before the two of us went on our merry way, Tord occasionally complaining about how he has to carry everything and receiving a punch on his shoulder.

Even in a dark time like this, we kept our spirits up, filling a dark, abandoned world with love and passion. Just as Tord has shown me every nightfall. With the bomb threat increasing, time running out for us to make it to the next town, we managed to continue loving each other. Every day, every night. He could even distract me from the intense smell of burning rubble, clouds of smoke increasing and the horrendous sounds of every bomb being dropped getting louder and louder with each progressing day.


	9. 9

"Is it just me, or is the next town a lot further away than it should be?"

I was almost completely out of breath as Tord and I walked to the top of a hill in the street, looking down over the side, only to find more dust and smoke fill the air. Nothing but grey buildings and rubble could be seen in the distance, and my feet could hardly carry me anymore.

"We're walking to another town on foot, Tom. Of course it's a while away."

Tord tried holding my hand, but I swatted it away as if getting rid of what he had just said.

"Tord, I've been walking for five weeks. Don't you think it's time we reached a safe destination?"

I watched my lover sigh, looking ahead of us with unsure determination. He was obviously thinking about what I said, his eyes making slight movements as he observed the path ahead of us.

"I don't know. All we can do is keep going."

Tord started walking forwards, my answer to his comment vanishing as I accepted what he said and walked with him. My fingers laced around his, seeing a soft smile tug at his lips.

We continued on our path, hopes to reach the next town being very low. The further we walked, the less likely it seemed that we would find a safe place before the bombs made it to us. If we were to stay in this area, it would only take three days for the daily bomb to be dropped directly above our heads. Or at least, that's my paranoid guess.

I kept my head low as we kept going, wanting to avoid the dreadful view in front of me. Perhaps it was luck that I turned to face Tord's backpack, realizing something which made my heart almost stop beating.

"TORD, THE POT! THE POT'S MISSING!" (an actual pot. Not drugs -_-)

Tord stopped walking, giving me a confused expression before slipping off the heavy bag, checking the outside. The pot had been attached to a secure hook, so as to make more room for the contents inside.

"The hook broke off-"

My lover looked me in the eyes, a regretful expression painted over his face.

"We have to go back."

Those words dug holes in my heart, the small hope I still carried slipping away by the second. Without speaking, I nodded and turned to walk in the direction we came from. It pained me to admit, but without the pot our chances would be even worse. We needed it to cook our food and boil the water. Without it, we might as well give up and wait for the bomb to reach us.

Tord and I walked slowly, our eyes scanning the ground and every place we had stepped. After searching for God knows how long, we came to an area that made me perk up. While walking this way earlier, we strayed from the path to check out a partially demolished bar in hopes to find some alcohol. To my demise, we didn't find anything. But I did remember seeing the pot still hanging on Tord's backpack when we were there.

"Hey, I'll look in the bar. Why don't you keep checking the trail?"

Tord nodded, walking down the torn up road as I carefully stepped off of the path, making my way into the bar. The door hung by two hinges, staying tilted at an odd angle. I pushed it aside, immediately coughing. The amount of dust gathered in the pub was immense and burned my lungs.

I made my way around a few tables, most had been toppled over, some covered with parts of the walls and ceiling that had crumbled off. I noticed the table Tord and I sat at, the chairs still in the positions we left them in. I smiled at the memory of us coming here, having a 'first date' while eating a can of peaches. My smile only grew as I walked around the table, a shiny object catching my attention.

I picked up my pace, eyes glistening as the object came into full view. I picked up the pot, letting out the breath I wasn't aware I was holding. A large grin tugged at the corners of my mouth, my feet spinning me around as I dashed out of the bar.

"TORDY! I FOUND IT!"

Feet hitting the ground in a quick rhythm, I made my way to the last place I saw Tord, hardly expecting him to have gone far. Though when I looked around, holding the pot in my hands, there was no other person in sight.

"... Tord?"

I started walking in the direction he left off, scanning the area around and hoping he didn't get too far. I stood still after a while, spinning around slowly to get a better look at my surroundings.

"Tom-"

I heard a faint voice call to me, I followed the direction it came from until seeing my beloved on the other side of a short wall. His face was visible to me, a worn out expression overtaking it. I held the pot up, smiling once again and making my way over to my boyfriend. He tiredly smiled back, though something seemed off about him. When I walked around the short wall, I saw Tord sitting up against a slab of concrete, his right foot spread out in front of him. I could see blood dripping from it. The closer I came, the more I saw.

I ran to him, setting the pot down and cupping his cheeks with my hands, looking over at his injured foot.

"What happened?"

My expression softened to one of sympathy and care, the urgency of outrunning the bombs seeming to fall behind as I worried for my partner.

"The ground fell under my foot, so I tried pulling it out and hit it against the concrete.

... I think it's broken."

Tord looked away guiltily, my heart getting heavier as I feared the answer to my next question.

"C-can you walk?"

I could see tears pricking my lover's eyes, mouthing the word 'no' without a sound coming from him. I felt a drop of water fall from my eye and rush down my cheek, my arms lacing around his shoulders as he held my waist, burying his head into the crook of my neck. My eyes were wide and white, fear and panic rushing through my system as I started overthinking what this meant for us. Tord rubbed my sides slowly, my breath shaky as I nuzzled him.

We stayed silent, spare for the few hiccups I let out as I held him closer. He moved his head, his mouth close to my ear as he whispered.

"Tom. You have to keep going without me."

My eyes went white as I pulled back to face him, my head desperately shaking.

"Nononono, I won't leave you here! I-I'll take you with me! I'll carry you! We'll figure something out! I'm not going without the man I love!"

His face fell dark as he loosened his grip on me, his voice low and uncharacteristically grave.

"I... I need to tell you something."

My tears were sloppily wiped away by my hand.

"Wh-at is i-t?"

As Tord looked me in the eyes once more, I didn't recognize the man in front of me.

"I've been lying to you."

His hands left my waist, falling at his sides. I looked at my lover in confusion, fear residing in me as I awaited him to continue.

"I'm working for the bombers."


	10. 10

Mouth dry, eyes white, I let go of my grip on Tord, body falling back slightly as I caught myself on the cold, gravel road.

"Wh... N-no you're not..."

His face was dark, his expression blank as he nodded.

My eyes kept switching from his left to his right, in a way feeling afraid I would break if I stared in one for too long. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath before asking Tord to explain.

"A few months ago, this army I'm working for asked me to design a bomb. The same bomb that the army is using now."

Tord looked around, as if taking in his surroundings for the first time. I followed his gaze, eyes trailing around the destruction of the former town.

"I wasn't told much. Only that they would be dropping them on a large area of land. They didn't tell me, and I didn't ask questions."

My eyes led back to Tord's, his cold expression making me freeze.

Tord let out a small sigh, his hands positioning next to his body as he pushed his legs up. A sharp inhale was heard, his foot moved slightly as he sat up straight.

"The plan was to attack a day later. Make sure everyone left town before it was destroyed. I was in the lab, getting supplies when the bombing started. I hadn't checked the messages from my boss saying the plan changed. I was supposed to get on a plane waiting for me. But I was too busy working on a portable sofa to check, so I missed the plane."

He looked at the ground, I didn't take my eyes off of him. The sun would go down soon. We would have to get going if we wanted to outrun the bombs.

"When I got the messages, it was already too late. I'd kept my home address hidden, so no one from the army knew where I lived. They couldn't pick me up. And I couldn't contact them, because the cell towers were destroyed. You probably know about that, right?"

Nodding slightly, I decided to sit more comfortably beside him. He was telling me what he had kept secret from me. There had to be a good reason, and I could tell he still had a lot more to say.

"I couldn't respond to my boss, but I could see the last message he wrote.

He told me the bombers will search for me. And pick me up if they find me."

He stayed quiet for a while, as I processed what he was telling me. My mouth was still dry, thoughts about Tord's injury clouding my mind.

"So you're saying they'd pick you up if they saw you from the plane?"

Tord nodded, a strange smile painted on his face. I thought about the urgency of continuing on our path, outrunning the bombs before they reach us.

I shook my head at Tord, as if denying everything he had told me.

"No. There's no way I'm leaving you alone here. What if they don't see you? I'm not going to let that happen."

I took Tord's hands, holding them tightly and smiling at Tord.

"I'm a little upset that you lied to me, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you! I'm not leaving you here with a chance of dying. I would never leave my boyfriend behind."

A giggle left my lips, though it soon turned to a frown as Tord pulled his hands away, wincing as he moved back a little.

"You're such an idiot. I'm not your boyfriend."

The mocking tone in Tord's voice was one I had never heard before, a deceitful smile taking over his face as he let out an obnoxious laugh. I took my hands back slowly, confused by what he said.

"You trust too easily. You're too desperate. I mean, you slept with a man you knew for less than a week!"

Tord laughed again. I hated that laugh. It sounded menacing. Forced. As if he's threatening me with it.

"W-hat a-are you try-ing to sa-y?"

Hot tears were already building up in my eyes. I could tell what he was going to say next.

"I'm trying to say I was using you, idiot! Was it really that hard to tell? God, you really are a moron."

The tears left my eyes, streaming down my face as I tried to keep my composure.

"I didn't pack enough supplies. So I needed you to share yours. Meaning, I needed to gain your trust. And what better way to do that, than to make you fall in love with me?"

The haunting chuckle left Tord's lips again, his face darkening.

"I'm surprised it was so easy. Or maybe you were just so desperate. You would've been willing to sleep with me, even if I treated you like the little bitch that you are."

My hand moved quickly and swiftly as I slapped Tord's cheek, hard. I didn't even wait for some kind of reply before standing, walking over to Tord's backpack and picking it up.

Reaching inside, I grabbed a can of beans and a bottle of water, throwing them at Tord with as much force as I could muster. The can hit his wounded foot, making him hiss at the touch, but I could've cared less.

"See you in hell, asshole."

Turning my heel, I ran down the path at a quick pace, the streets and buildings ahead seeming like grey blurs through my tears. My heart stung, my body felt weak. I felt torn. Vulnerable.

The sun started setting not long after I left Tord. A dark building crossed my path, my footsteps loud as they were the only sound heard.

It felt as if time was moving slower. My thoughts always lead back to Tord and what he said to me. Anger, pain sorrow... even guilt ran through my head as I struggled to sleep that night. The bombers would reach Tord in three days. A part of me wished he would die from malnourishment before then.

But of course, another part of me wished he would be ok. Maybe even wish he'd miraculously be healed and run after me. Though I only focused on the fact that he'd die in a few days. And I didn't even care.

I hate him for what he's done.


	11. 11

"You still love me, Tommy. You know that."

Tord's hands ran over my bare chest, his face close to mine, my breath bouncing off his skin. I brought my hands up to his shoulders, running them down his arms and back around his neck.

"N-no I do-n't..."

A soft moan passed my lips as he brought his teeth down on my neck, biting and sucking the skin, almost driving me up the wall. He pulled away, getting close to my ear.

"You miss me, don't you?"

His breath was hot and deep, his hands travelling to my sides as he rubbed them lovingly.

"M-maybe a li-ttle..."

I saw a slight smirk grow on Tord's face, his eyes going half lidded as he came closer to me, eventually bringing his lips onto mine. An explosion woke me from my dream, the feeling of Tord's touch still lingering on my lips and body. It's only been two days since I left him, and my thoughts can't seem to let him go. He lied to me. He used me. He never even loved me!

But I couldn't ignore that I loved him. Of course, love can turn to hate very quickly, my subconscious reminding me of the nights before he told me the truth. The nights where he shared his body with me, as I did with him. It was as if my dream was filling the gap that I had been missing last night.

My morning was slow, my face neutral as I heated up some breakfast. I didn't have Tord's talent when it came to cooking, the sloppy mix of eggs and rice being an obvious indicator of that.

Thoughts picked up like my feet as I continued walking, I kept thinking about the past two weeks. They were all just a big lie. A trick to gain my trust. Looking back on everything brought up a lot of emotions, betrayal among them.

Every building I passed seemed bleak and identical to the last one. The streets seemed to go on forever, no signs of a safe haven for protection from this nightmarish place.

Hours, days, weeks of walking. Yet nothing but grey smoke awaited me. With Tord, it seemed as if hope had a purpose. Hope to find a barrier, where the gravelly roads turn into the lush green fields I hadn't seen in so long. But making this journey alone made hope seem pointless. A waste of energy. It was clear nothing would come up. No place to be safe from the bombs creeping closer by the day.

"I love you more than anything, Tommy."

I smiled at the memory of what Tord had said one evening before I fell asleep.

"We'll get through this together."

The touch of Tord's hand around mine still lingered, the warmth, though imaginary, making me feel safe and loved.

"I'm trying to say I was using you, idiot!"

That line rang through my ears, the painful words piercing my brain, breaking me from the inside. My legs felt weak at I took another step, my knees eventually giving up as I fell on the cold street.

"I was USING YOU."

The sweet voice I used to hear now rang through my head with a threatening tone.

"IDIOT."

Knees scraped along the hard road, I buckled over, my eyes leaking tears and my heart burning with pain. Whimpers left my mouth, the only sounds heard were my own. The soft wind picked up, blowing dust and smoke around me as I stayed on the ground. After a while, I fell on my side, hugging my legs as I stayed quiet, spare for the few hiccups that left my parted lips.

Though I was soon brought out of my thoughts when I heard a faint sound in the distance, a mechanical whirring noise ringing in my ears. I widened my eyes, sitting up promptly before looking up at the sky. My face went white as I stood up, legs shaking violently.

A plane was coming closer to me, its engine loud and increasing in size as it neared my position. My instincts kicked in, I breathed heavily as I ran to a building close to me. With the dust covering the sky, it was difficult to see the plane, though I could tell it was close from the sounds it made. My heart raced, tears built up in my eyes as I awaited for a bomb to be dropped, sending me to my death.

Though that never happened. Instead, the whirrs became deafeningly loud, wind blowing furiously around me as I fell to the ground, huddling in the building with my hands over my ears. After minutes, everything stopped. The whirring, the wind, it all came to a stop.

It didn't take long for an unfamiliar sound to arise, shoes hitting a kind of metal surface. Curiosity overtook my fear as I stood, walking cautiously around the walls of the building. As I faced the direction of the sound, my eyes went white as I saw two men standing in front of a plane, a large, metal ramp descending from a door to the concrete ground.

"I swear to you, I saw someone."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not the first time you 'saw someone'. Remember that ghost you tried catching because it kept calling you Fatty Patty?"

I watched as one man playfully hit the other's arm, an offended expression present on his face.

"Hey, that was after I came back from the dentist! You can't blame me! Plus, this is different. I swear I saw a real person here."

The other man rolled his eyes with a small smile before looking in my direction, his cigarette falling out of his mouth.

"Pat..."

He softly hit the other man's arm, whispering something to him as they looked at me. I ran back inside the building, trying to find a place to hide as the crunching of footsteps got closer, the two men eventually entering the room as I hid behind a large chunk of roof that had fallen through.

"We're not here to hurt you..."

A man's voice called out, my attention being brought to where he was. I hesitantly looked up, seeing the two men beside me. I flinched before noticing one man holding his hand out for me to take.

"We're here to save you."


	12. 12

'You trust too easily.'

If more time had passed from when I left Tord, his words would've probably stopped me from taking the man's hand. Maybe it was out of spite that I ignored what Tord had told me, taking the stranger's hand as he pulled me off the dirt-ridden ground. I took in the men's appearances as they told me their names.

The man who helped me up had slightly long, brown hair which was parted in a strange way at the front. His clothing looked like a uniform, his companion wearing the same. A blue overcoat with a red sweater and some baggy pants, military boots to complete the look. He had a slight accent, though I didn't pay much attention to it as he told me his name. Pat.

"We've been going around the bombed areas for a few weeks looking for survivors. We found a few others and brought them back to our base, like we did when we had to evacuate everyone."

The other man, apparently named Pau, lead me up the ramp into the plane, sitting down on a built in bench next to me. He had relatively short hair, a slightly lighter shade of brown than his counterpart. His right eye was covered in bandages, a scar partially poking out from under them. His eyebrows were large and sat comfortably above his eyes, a red turtleneck hugging his throat.

"You two helped evacuate the town?"

Pat nodded and smiled, bringing me a blanket that I never really asked for.

"Well we weren't the only ones, but yes. We flew this plane around a few towns, bringing the people to safety."

I raised a brow at the two, questions building up in my head.

"Where did you take them?"

Pat walked away before coming back with a jug of water and three glasses, pouring each of us a drink.

"There were unoccupied apartments built a while back by our army for this occasion. We have everyone safely housed in a one bedroom flat with room to spare...

Well not much. But there are still a couple of empty apartments for survivors."

"What army are you working for? How did you know to build the apartments? Are you working for the bombers? How do I know you won't kidnap me?"

The situation reminded me a lot of when I first met Tord. I was skeptical of him as well, though I had a gut feeling to trust him. That was the first time my gut was ever wrong. At this point, I didn't know who to trust.

I held the glass of water in my hands, waiting for the other men to take a sip before doing the same. Pat let out a tired chuckle.

"If you think we're gonna kidnap you, you're welcome to stay behind. But I can assure you, we're telling the truth. We're soldiers of the red army, and the 'bombers' are working for the grey army."

Pau mumbled something under his breath along the lines of 'Pretty fitting name if all they leave behind is ash.'

"You've been asking us a lot of questions, Tom. May we ask you a couple, too?"

Hesitantly, I nodded at Pat's question, still very skeptical of the two in front of me.

"How did you survive the bombs?"

A sigh left my lips, the situation becoming more and more like meeting Tord. Which kept me cautious about what I would tell these two men.

"I was in a bomb shelter when they hit. But it was honestly a stupid reason to go in there. I have no idea what I was thinking."

Pau raised one of his giant eyebrows, while Pat was sitting at an open laptop on a desk, typing up something.

"Uh... What are you doing?"

Pat looked back at me, a soft smile on his lips.

"Whenever we find another survivor, we're required to fill out a form about them, which gets saved into our database. It's just easier to get an idea of where and how to find other people."

Pau turned to face me, his resting face seeming like a glare as he opened his mouth.

"We do need to ask you, were there any other survivors with you at some point?"

My shoulders tensed up at the question, eyes going wide for a moment before a frown took over my lips. Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked away, as if trying to avoid the question altogether.

"There was someone with me. He got hurt, but told me he'd be fine because he designed the bombs. So the next bombers would pick him up."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Pau and Pat exchanging looks of confusion.

"Do you mean he designed the bombs that were dropped?"

I nodded, confused at the tone used in asking the question.

"That's what he told me..."

Pau turned to face his companion, his majestic brows furrowed in thought.

"Please bring up all the information we have on the XS-271 bomb."

The sudden seriousness in Pau's tone had gotten me worried, afraid I may have said something wrong.

"What's going on?"

"Who was this man and why did he tell you he designed the bomb?"

Pau completely ignored my question, looking into my eyes sternly. His voice was rough, almost making me shiver with fear.

"His name is Tord Lisston. H-he broke his foot and told me to leave him behind."

Pau looked at the floor as if deep in thought. His head moved up and down slightly, his eyes never straying from the dust ridden floor. Pat perked up and signaled Pau about finding the information. My mind was still riddled with questions, though I kept quiet, not sure if they were even relevant to what they wanted to know. After moments, Pat started reading out loud. I listened, not entirely sure as to what was going on.

"The XS-271 Bomb was designed and developed by the Grey Army. It's purpose was to obliterate any buildings, making residency impossible for the population-"

"Yeah, yeah we've already been over this, Patty. Tell us more about the designer."

Pat scrolled through the page he was looking at, clicking his tongue in impatience before he found what he was looking for. I sipped more of my water, finally enjoying the lack of a metal taste, as the water I've been drinking for the past 5 weeks had owned.

"The designer of the XS-271 Bomb was a polish woman that goes by the name of Angela Danni."

Almost chocking on my drink, I let out a surprised yelp, getting the attention of the two men.

"A WOMAN MADE THE BOMB?!"

Pau gave me a slightly agitated glare.

"Wow, way to sound sexist with no women around."

I shook my head, eyes wide and white as I looked at them in panic, my mouth moving faster than my mind.

"No, no! I mean... Tord didn't make the bombs.."

As I spoke those words, my mind finally caught up to what I saw saying. My mouth went dry when I realized the horrible truth.

"Tord didn't make the bombs!"

I started panicking even more, my heart beat erratic as I stared wide eyed at the two men in front of me.

"TORD DIDN'T MAKE THE BOMBS!"

Pau walked up to me, gripping my bony shoulders with his hands before roughly shaking me.

"Why is that a problem?!"

I placed my own hands on his shoulders, getting closer to his face with a serious expression.

"Tord won't be picked up by the bombers! He won't be safe! HE'S GOING TO DIE!"

Although Tord was an asshole, that didn't change the fact that he was innocent.

And I left an innocent man to die.


	13. 13

2 days of walking was reduced to half an hour of sitting in a plane, the only sounds surrounding me were from the engine and light chatting between Pau and Pat. I simply laid on the bench, looking out the window to spot anything that looked familiar. The sun was almost under, casting a large shadow over the land as I scanned it. I saw nothing but piles of rubble and ash, large cracks in the street being nothing new to me.

Though when I caught sight of a mostly-intact building the size of a matchbox, I looked closer. There was a path leading down to it, narrow but sturdy. I let out a small yelp before turning towards Pau and Pat.

"Down there! That building is the bar where I found the pot! That's where I left him!"

Pau looked back at me for a second, his expression confused, but he shrugged.

"Pau, there isn't anywhere to land-"

I overheard the first line of a whispered conversation between the two pilots. They both seemed agitated as they spoke in another language I couldn't understand, the conversation going on for a few minutes. Though I soon couldn't hear anything of it due to their voices being drowned out as the plane started descending.

Pat yelled back at me, telling me to hold onto something. A bar beside me seemed ideal as I held onto it tightly, the ground getting closer at a rapidly increasing rate. The floor rattled, I didn't dare look out of the window as I feared we were going to crash. But to my surprise, I felt the plane lift up slightly before setting down on the ground.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips when it was over, the plane landing securely on the ground. Pau and Pat shared a high five, my grip on the bar loosening as I stood up. Before I left the plane, Pau stopped me, handing me a backpack.

"We had to land a few kilometers away from the bar, so we're gonna have to walk a bit. This backpack has rations and a few water packs, as well as a flashlight and a compass. You might wanna take the flashlight out already."

My own bag was still in the plane, sitting neatly beside the build in bench. After I took the backpack from Pau, I nodded, grabbing the flashlight from the side. Pau and Pat had their own bags, both of them sharing a thumbs up before opening the ramp and walking out of the plane.

"We need to go South-West to get to the bar."

Pat played around with his compass for a while, before eventually pointing in a direction, a goofy smile on his face. The three of us chuckled before getting on with our journey, flashlights shining on every piece of concrete on our path.

Legs aching, breathing deep and heavy, I felt like giving up after an hour of walking. On the other hand, Pau and Pat were standing tall and proud, their pace never slowing down. They were probably trained to withstand long, treacherous walks. Either that, or I was way more out of shape than them. So when the two stopped walking, I was honestly very surprised.

"I don't know about you guys, but that looks a hell of a lot like a bar to me."

Pat pointed ahead of us to a large building, the roof badly damaged but the overall structure stayed standing. Immediately I perked up, feeling as if a burst of energy had entered my body as I picked up my pace. Soon enough, I was running as fast as I could at the time, my speed relatively slow due to how exhausted I was.

Turning a corner, a wide smile grew on my face when a red jacket came into view. It was wrapped tightly around something, my speed picking up a little faster to see what it was. A cracked wall was slightly disrupting my view. When I walked around it, I unconsciously smiled.

I saw Tord laying on the ground, his jacket wrapped tightly around his injured foot. Shining my flashlight in his eyes, I could see they were closed and relaxed. He must've fallen asleep a while ago. He was laying in what could be described as an unfinished box of concrete. Three walls were around his unconscious body, another slab of concrete on top, serving as a roof. It seemed an ideal spot for shelter.

Running up to Tord, I set the flashlight down and shook his shoulders, yelling his name to wake him up. Pat and Pau appeared by my side a few minutes later, their flashlights giving me enough light to see no change in Tord's appearance. I stopped shaking him, getting my ear close to his mouth and nose. He was still breathing, an action I was more than grateful for.

My hand wandered to his wrist, pressing down lightly with two fingers. His pulse was slow, but nevertheless still there.

"Is he dead?"

Pau knelt down beside me, his flashlight shining in Tord's face. Shaking my head and squinting, I turned around to face the two pilots.

"Now that we've found Tord, we should think about how to get him to the plane. His foot is still injured, and I don't feel like carrying him for an hour."

Pat walked up to Tord's injured foot, nudging it a little before cringing at the sight of the blood covered jacket.

"Well at least he bandaged it up..."

Pau sighed, standing up again and handing me my flashlight. I found a decently sized crack in the ground, holding the flashlight and sticking it into an acceptable hole. A beam lit up the area bright enough for us all to see.

"Patty and I will go back to the plane. We'll fly it over to the two of you and we'll force him to get on it. Broken foot or not."

I furrowed my brows while the two turned to walk away.

"I-if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not stay here with him. We have some... history between us."

An agitated sigh left Pau's mouth, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes in annoyance.

"Listen, we need both of us to fly this plane. And since you two already know each other, he'll be a lot less freaked out to see you instead of one of us. We'll be back in around an hour or so. And for the love of god, don't leave this spot."

Without waiting for my answer, the two men turned away from me, walking in the direction we came from. After letting out a sharp exhale, I shuffled over to Tord's side again, slapping his face in an attempt to wake him up. Eventually, I resorted to opening my backpack, pulling out a water packet and spilling it over Tord's face.

He sat up with a start, wincing in pain from moving his foot before his eyes met mine, silver meeting black. His expression was one of shock, his mouth open in disbelief.

"T-om?!"

"Yeah, it-"

I was cut off by Tord's lips pressing against mine, the sudden action leaving me stunned for a moment until I realized what was happening. I pushed him away.


	14. 14

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Tord fell backwards with a thud, his eyes slightly wide and breathing quick. He looked up at me in shock, my rage blinding me from seeing his hurt expression.

"I-I was kissing you-"

"Yes, I realized that. But WHY?!"

An expression of anger took over my face as I scooted back, not wanting to be near the man who broke my heart. Tord didn't answer, averting his gaze from my eyes as he looked at the ground. The lack of an answer left me agitated, hands balling into fists as I so desperately wanted to walk away from him.

"WHY?!"

"BECAUSE I FUCKING LOVE YOU, OK?!"

His eyes met mine again, narrowed, yet a gleam of emotion residing in them. I couldn't identify it.

"That's not what you said two days ago."

My arms folded over my chest as I sat against the concrete wall protecting us, looking out in the direction of the streets. Face heated, I neglected to turn his way. My breathing was heavy, I huffed slightly as we sat in silence for a few minutes. A sigh was heard through the brisk air, slight shuffling seen out of the corner of my eye.

"I never thought I'd see you again, Tom."

My eyes wandered to look at the dark ground, the flashlight only lighting up a few meters in front of us.

"Why'd you come back?"

Keeping my gaze on the gravel in front of me, my expression softened.

"Because I know you're innocent, Tord. I know you didn't design the bomb."

My head hung low, thoughts travelling back to what Tord had said to me before I left him. Just thinking about it sent a spear to my heart, but I didn't show my weakness. I'd never do that in front of him. Not anymore.

The momentary silence was filled with a heavy chuckle as I saw Tord sit up straight against the wall, his foot moving slightly, making him hiss.

"How'd you figure it out? I honestly thought my reasoning was pretty good."

If my eyes weren't black, I'm sure I would've rolled them to illustrate my annoyance. Instead, I sighed deeply, finally looking back at Tord.

"I had some help."

My tone was bland and emotionless, my face appearing the same way. I could see the slight confusion in Tord's expression, no words needed to tell me to explain.

"Earlier today, I was rescued by two guys in a plane. Their names are Pau and Pat, and they're on their way to get the plane now to pick us up. I told them about you, and how you 'designed the bombs.' Their database has information about the bombs being dropped. A woman designed them. And I know for a fact that you're a dude."

A half-hearted smile curled on Tord's lips, his eyes trailing to the ground again. Softly chuckling, he opened his mouth, emotion dwelling in his eyes, though I couldn't tell which one. He looked unhappy. Hurt. Though he kept the smile glued to his lips.

"I guess my lie wasn't as flawless as I thought."

Tord's smile faltered, his eyes somehow conflicting with his lips. Although he wore a wavering grin, his eyes showed the opposite of joy.

"But at least it worked."

My emotionless expression now softened, I wore a face of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

His eyes eventually closing, Tord forced a smile to stay on his lips, not letting up his obvious act of false happiness.

"You left. If you loved me, you wouldn't have done that."

My brows furrowed as I broke my stare at Tord, eyes wandering to the streets ahead of me once more.

"I did love you, Tord."

A broken chuckle left Tord's lips, his head pointed to the sky. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, my gaze following his as I looked at the stars above me. The sky was exceptionally clear, stars twinkling brightly, much like another night some weeks ago. It's been too long since I've looked at the stars.

"Did you love me after I called you an idiot? And said that I was using you? That I never even loved you to begin with?"

Eyes twitching slightly, I kept my gaze on the stars, not bothering to face the excuse of a man beside me.

"No. I didn't."

Tord's head lowered slightly, his eyes looking into the darkness before us.

"Exactly."

I let my eyes pan over to Tord, a frown playing on his lips instead of that forced smile he held.

"Telling you I was the bomb's designer wasn't enough for you to leave. But breaking your heart was."

Tord's eyes made their way to mine, guilt residing in them as I looked back at him.

"I couldn't let you stay here and risk getting killed because of me."

"Why?! Because you can't stand being around me?!"

My words were spat at Tord, a glare overtaking my soft expression.

"No, Tom. Because I love you."

A scoff left my mouth, head turning back to look at the stars. None of his words made sense. He's told me the opposite of everything he's said before. He must've lied to me at least once, and I couldn't tell when.

"If you'd stayed with me, you would've risked getting killed with me in the explosion. You would've died, and I would've been the cause. I hated to make you leave, Tom. But I hated the idea of you dying even more."

Tord's words lingered in my mind as silence took over, the slight songs of the wind being the only one to break it until I spoke up.

"Even if that were true. Even if you do love me, I can't..."

So much to say, yet nothing came from my mouth as I tried to finish my sentence. Tord looked at me, his face full of guilt and sorrow. Taking in a deep breath, I tried again.

"You broke my heart, Tord. That's something I doubt I can ever forget. And I don't think I can trust you with the shattered pieces again."


	15. 15

Panic washed over my body as the sun poked up over the horizon. It had been hours since Pau and Pat left. Tord was trying to calm me down by patting my head, but I knew he was worried as well.

"Where could they be? Did they forget about us?!"

Getting off the ground, I paced back and forth in front of Tord, careful not to move his broken foot.

"I'm sure Pit and Pot didn't forget us."

My feet stopped as I turned to Tord, a confused yet annoyed look on my face.

"Pau and Pat. I've been saying their names for hours. How could you possibly forget them?!"

Not bothering to continue, I sighed. What's the point in wasting another breath on this lame conversation?

"You're right, you're right. Sorry."

Eventually, I sat back down next to Tord, hugging my knees close to my body and resting my head on them. Thoughts of the next bomb killing us before our saviors arrived were the only ones going through my mind. Everything seemed so pointless now. My entire life would be gone in a flash. The years I spent learning, laughing, spending time with my friends. All for nothing.

"Hey. It's gonna be ok. We'll get through this."

Warmth covered my hand as I looked down at it, seeing Tord's hand on top of mine. He rubbed his thumb up and down slightly in a calming manner.

"Together."

Our eyes met as I faced him, a small smile mixed with a hint of remorse. Remembering his words before I left, I turned my hand over, holding his and tangling our fingers together. A frown painted on my lips, memories of my time with Tord were coming back to me. How we'd watch the sun go down and the moon peek between the clouds. How even when our supplies were limited, he'd offer me the most of the food, saying I had to keep my strength up. I'd secretly place more food on his plate when he wasn't looking. He needed to keep his strength up, too. I missed that. I missed him.

The more I thought about it, the larger my frown became. As my hold on Tord's hand tightened, he turned back to me, inching closer to my body, despite the pain from his broken foot. My thoughts still clouded my mind, memories taking over my vision as all I could think about was how much I wished we'd stayed together to search the bar three days ago.

Shuffling out of the corner of my eye brought my attention back to reality, a weight on my shoulder as I saw Tord's head rest on my shoulder. His thumb still rubbing my hand, his eyes looking down at the ground in front of us.

A soft smile made its way on my lips, my head resting on top of Tord's. The upsetting thoughts eventually cleared from my mind as I only wished time would've stopped right then and there. All planes and bombs stopping mid air as Tord and I sat, watching the sun rise.

Silence overtook the two of us, the wind brushing past in a light breeze, being the only sound around. Tord sighed, letting go of my hand and taking his head off my shoulder.

"Let's play a game."

Tord kept his gaze on the ground ahead, the breath leaving my lungs audibly as it passed my lips.

"What kind of game?"

Bland and uninterested, my tone expressed how I felt about the offer. Reality slapped me in the face again as I remembered why I was worrying so much earlier, not in the mood to do anything other than panic.

"A distraction game. Like 'I spy'."

My arms folded over my chest in a resentful manner.

"I spy a guy who sucks at cheering people up."

A small chuckle left Tord's parted lips.

"Come on. You can't choose yourself, Tommy."

An offended gasp and a playful hit on my chest brought a smile to his face, my lips copying the action. The sound of soft chuckling cutting through the silence.

"How about a real round this time, huh?"

Playfully asking, Tord looked at me with a smile still worn on his lips.

"Tord, I know you're trying to help here, but it's not going to work. I don't want to spend my last hour or so of my life playing some stupid kid's game."

I huffed, my head turning the other way as I watched the sun slowly climb into the sky.

"Well what do you want to do?"

The question lingered in my head for minutes, Tord looking down out of the corner of my eye.

"I still don't forgive you."

Confused, Tord opened his mouth to speak. Though before he could, I moved closer to him, my lips on his and my eyes softly shut.

Past and present melted away as Tord kissed me back, the familiar, loving touch of his lips on mine.

An inner debate about my actions went on, head against my heart as part of me told to break away. So I did. Softly. Gently. Lovingly.

My eyes met Tord's, locked in a dazed yet gentle expression. I could see how lovesick he looked at me, my own feelings betraying my judgement as I kissed him again.

I missed the feeling of closeness with him. My worries slipping away, fears and problems seeming like old news to me.

"I thought you didn't forgive me."

His voice was nearly a whisper, his arms wrapping around me as I was pulled into a warm embrace.

"I don't, asshole. I just want to be happy in my last hour."

A chuckle, then silence. Comfortable silence. Tord rubbed my back soothingly, the embrace gentle and soft. My eyes closed, a smile rested on my face.

The familiar sound of a military plane made its way towards us. My grip on Tord tightened, eyes clenching as I waited for the bomb to drop Tord returned the gesture. Even if I didn't have enough time to say it, I was glad Tord was here. Alive, and loving me as we embraced in our final moments together.


	16. 16

It's been ten minutes, the constant whirring of a plane above us never going away. I began getting anxious, thinking the bombers were playing with our heads. They were above us. Directly above us. They were probably just waiting for us to beg for death. That was probably what I would've done anyway.

An angered yell left my mouth as I let go of Tord's embrace, standing up and walking out of our concrete shelter. My plan was to scream at the bombers, tell them to get over with what they were going to do.

As I looked up at the sky, my mouth was already opened wide, a deep breath taken in to give the bombers a piece of my mind. The plane was flying relatively close to the ground at a very slow pace. I was confused by it, wondering why the bombers would take such a risk by flying so low.

Though when I saw a rope ladder dangling over the edge of the opened plane door, I screamed in joy.

"PAU! PAT! THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE FINALLY HERE!"

Running over to Tord, I gave him the biggest hug I could muster, trying my best not to hurt his broken foot. He gave a confused, yet relieved smile in return, though he hissed in pain as I tried pulling him up with me.

The plane came closer, a figure standing beside the open door could be seen. The rope ladder hung carelessly from the aircraft, my worries sinking in as it came closer.

"Tord, how are we gonna get you up there?!"

Panic was written over my face as I turned back to Tord, seeing him try to shuffle and stand on one leg.

The ladder wasn't too far away, coming closer at a speed slow enough to grab onto it and get dragged along by the plane.

A painful yell was heard from Tord as he used the wall to support himself, his broken foot hanging down limply. It looked incredibly painful. Honestly, I was surprised by how he wasn't crying already.

Tord reached his hand out to me, I grabbed it and pulled him closer. He hopped on one leg, the other being held up with blood dripping onto the ground below. As I turned back to see the plane, we were almost in reach of it. Tord wrapped his arms around my torso tightly, my expression determined as I held my arms out, ready to grab the ladder.

The sound of another plane was heard in the distance, out of the corner of my eye I could see another military aircraft. Flying much higher and faster, I could tell what it was.

The next bomber plane.

As soon as I saw it, panic ran through my system, my eyes hardly straying from the enemy aircraft flying towards us at a terrifying speed. I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard Tord yell, the rope ladder hitting my body as I didn't know what was happening.

Without slowing down, the plane kept flying, the ladder going over my body and being dragged behind the aircraft. I was too dazed at the moment to grab on, too shocked to realize what was the ladder was there for as all I could think about was the next bombing plane getting much closer to us.

With a small yell, I was lifted into the air, Tord's grip around my torso tightening, holding me in place as I looked to the side, seeing Tord struggling to hold onto the rope ladder by himself.

Quickly grabbing the ladder myself, I held onto the bars as Tord let go of his grip on me, bringing his other hand to the ladder and securing it as well. Pau yelled inaudibly before the plane slowly climbed the sky even more, the ground below us getting further away. My eyes didn't dare stray from the streets under us, my mind lost in the sea of destruction until I felt something on my arm.

Tord was nudging me to the best of his ability, my eyes meeting his shoes as he tried climbing up the ladder with one foot. I followed what he was trying to tell me, attempting to climb the ladder too. The wind was strong and forceful, my grip almost lost on many occasions. Though when two arms lifted me up, I didn't struggle against them.

Pau and Tord helped me through the open door, my body sprawled on the floor as I calmed my deep breathing. A light chuckle was heard from Pau, my eyes darting over to see Tord beside me on the ground, out of breath, but smiling. It must've been contagious, because for whatever reason, I was smiling as well.

"Did you get them?!"

Pat was in the front of the plane, calling out to his teammate who gave him an affirmative answer. Once I caught my breath, I sat on the built in bench, helping Tord up before turning to face the copilot in front of me.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!"

My face was cherry red, my voice squeaking slightly as I was very agitated. Pau stared at me wide eyed, his eyebrows raised in surprise by my change in character.

"Well the navigation was damaged, so we had to fly the plane based on what we remembered about the area. Mr Pattycake was stupid enough to fly in the completely opposite direction."

An offended scoff was heard from the cockpit of the plane as Pat looked back at us.

"Well if you didn't say anything, you can't blame me!"

He scowled, Pau chuckling a little and blowing a teasing kiss before Pat turned back around.

Tord's eyes darted around the plane, mumbling to himself slightly.

"So... where are you taking us now?"

Pau sat beside me, turning to face the two of us with a soft expression.

"To our base, where you'd each be assigned an apartment for you to live in. And because there aren't many spaces left, you two would most likely be neighbours."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tord smiling widely. It was obvious we were going to see a lot more of each other.

Questions gathered in my head as Pau continued talking, wondering how much things will change for us all. I wondered if Edd and Matt were also in their base. Perhaps they were survivors as well, their information saved in the Red Army's database. I made a mental note to ask someone later, hoping to see my old friends once again.

But for the rest of the ride, I looked out of the window light-hearted, a soft smile on my face. The derelict ground below us was all I could see, buildings and rubble covered in grey dust. We were finally leaving. Finally escaping this nightmare and going to living among other people once again.

Though I had to admit, I was glad Tord would still be with me. I had a gut feeling to trust him. Keep him around. Maybe even forgive him. But for now, I smiled happily, the buildings blurring together until I finally fell asleep on Tord's shoulder.


	17. 17

*** Time skip - 4 years later ***

Quiet, rhythmic breathing is the sound I awoke to, my eyes fluttering slightly as I opened them. I was met face to face with my husband, seeing his eyes closed. He was still asleep, his arm slung around my body as I smiled lightly, moving closer to him for a cuddle.

My face pressed against his chest, I could hear his heart beating slightly faster, his arm moving and holding my back. His bare skin on mine, I smiled warmly. A few mumbles were heard here and there, my husband was finally awake.

"G'morning, min kjaere."

I giggled, snuggling closer to my lover as he did the same to me. Feeling his lips on my head for a second, I enjoyed the small kiss I received.

"Good morning, Tordy."

Tord yawned slightly, mumbling something incoherent. A chuckle left my chapped lips, my legs sitting comfortably in between my husband's. Sighing, I pushed myself away slightly, laying on my back and facing my lover. My eyes wandered beyond him, looking at the digital clock on the nightstand. The time read 8:17am.

"Tordy, we should get up. We're meeting Edd and Matt today, remember?"

Groaning, Tord laid on his back as well, looking at me with a small pout.

"But I wanna stay and cuddle~"

Another giggle left my mouth as I rolled onto my stomach, pushing myself up and sitting on my knees. Tord looked me up and down, biting his lip slightly as I pushed his shoulder a bit, making both of us chuckle.

"Come on, Tord. You've been so busy with work lately. We should spend time with our friends instead of staying inside all day."

An eye roll followed by a slight smile.

"Well what can I say? The army needs an inventor. I mean, they are going up against the grey army soon. They need the latest technology we can offer."

It was my turn to roll my void eyes, which honestly didn't look like anything to Tord.

"Just shut up and get out of bed already, dummy."

Tord sighed, shuffling to sit up in bed next to me.

"Just as stubborn as always. Why can't we just enjoy being together? I mean, it took us three years to even get together again. And I wanna make the wait worthwhile..."

Playfully gasping, my hand hit my chest as I acted offended.

"Are you saying being married to me isn't worthwhile?

He widened his eyes, shaking his head wildly and waving his hands frantically about.

"Nonononno! No, I'm not saying that! I-I just meant-"

"Save it. It don't wanna pester you with my stupid love and marriage to you any longer."

Scoffing, I stood up and left the bed, closing the door behind me and giggling when I heard quick footsteps coming after me.

Tord opened the door, surprised when I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. He froze while I took my arms away, walking towards the bathroom.

"Come on. We should really get dressed and leave soon."

Tord nodded absentmindedly, following me into the shower and turning the water on. My sensitive skin stung at the touch, water rushing down the many scars I had on my body. Although it's been four years since the bombing, not every wound had been healed.

I looked at Tord's robotic foot, making sure it wasn't fizzling or breaking from getting wet. He told me it was waterproof, yet one can never be safe enough. Though I should probably trust his judgement, since he is the one who created it.

Trees and houses passed slowly as Tord drove us to the cafe a few blocks away. We'd agreed to meet Edd and Matt there, wanting to spend the fourth anniversary of reuniting with them over a cup of coffee.

After the Grey Army claimed our old town as their territory, the past population had become a somewhat community in the safe haven. Fear of the bombing brought everyone who was saved by the Red Army together, wanting to restore their homes and neighbourhoods to what they once were. Because of this, the apartments had changed dramatically over the years. Dark, colourless walls were painted to give off an aesthetically pleasing look, a Red Army symbol painted on almost every house.

A smile made its way to my lips as I watched everything go by, seeing the outside world blur together, paying attention to the man beside me rather than the what was going on on the other side of the window.

Tord was humming along to a song on the radio, smiling as he kept his eyes on the road. His sweet expression made me smile as well, thinking back to years ago when I despised the very mention of him.

It took years, but he finally proved how much he loved me. And somehow I forgave him for breaking my heart years ago. Because he managed to glue the pieces back together.

"Anything wrong, min elskede?"

Still looking forward, Tord's eyes wandered over to mine as I caught myself staring. Shaking my head softly, I closed my eyes for a moment before looking back at my lover.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect."

Still smiling, Tord seemed worried about my behavior, his hand reaching my forehead and checking for a fever. Giggling, I took his hand away, both of us smiling warmly to each other.

A small sigh, my smile was glued to my lips as we pulled into a parking spot, the cafe a few meters away. Edd and Matt were already in sight, sitting by the window with coffee cups in their hands. Their appearances hadn't changed much over the years, as surprising as it may be. A few cuts and bruises here and there, but they were still the same old friends I had when they left for their roadtrip.

Tord left the car first, I was too lost in my own thoughts to realize what was going on around me. When the car door opened on my side, I was startled, but got out when I saw my husband smiling sweetly at me.

"Would the sweetest man in the world kindly step out of the car? He has a husband waiting for him who wants to hold his hand and kiss him."

I giggled, a blush resting on my rosy cheeks as Tord helped pull me out swiftly, giving me a soft kiss and shutting the car door.

Making our way to the cafe, our hands were tangled together, a skip in my step as we walked. I loved being with Tord. Despite past events, I was glad he stayed alive to see me again. At least, that's what I like to believe. He stayed alive for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp...
> 
> The end :>
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Have a pleasant life :3
> 
> ~tenura


End file.
